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The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
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From: Leslie Hauschildt <lhauscht>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 13:09:46 -0700
As I've shared The Man Who Walked Between the Towers with children, reading it to classes visiting the library (1st to 5rh grades), I've become more and more pleased that it won the Caldecott. The kids have been mesmerized, and it's inspiring to me over and over. When I say "inspiring" the meaning I have in mind is the feeling I get from the perspective of the pictures - the view up, the view down, etc.
When the winner was first announced, I remembered reading it, but had to get it back again to look at in detail. At the first time of reading, the book had not stayed in my mind - which seemed like it could be a drawback to it being selected as the winner. Other librarians and I have also talked about the book's "staying power" - will we be thinking of this book for it's illustrations in five years? Ten years? Not sure about that - but I'm enjoying it for now....
Leslie Hauschildt Head, Children's Services Evergreen Library, Jefferson County Public Library 5000 Highway 73, Evergreen, CO 80439 303g480
Message----From: Kathleen Horning [mailto:horning at education.wisc.edu] Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 6:57 AM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Subject: [ccbc-net] The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
I've been so caught up in this fascinating discussion of Despereaux, that I'm afraid I have been remiss in my duties as moderator. These first two weeks after the ALA award announcements, we have scheduled a discussion of the Caldecott winner and honor books as well.
I don't want the Caldecott books to be overlooked, so we do welcome your comments on them, as well as the 2004 Newbery books.
This year's Caldecott winner, "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers" by Mordicai Gerstein, was mentioned last month several times in our discussion of the best books of the year. As I recall, it also won several mock Caldecott discussions, including the one that we held here at the CCBC. Here's our review from CCBC Choices 2004:
"In 1974, soon after the World Trade Center was completed, a street performer named Philippe Petit startled New Yorkers by walking, running, dancing, and even lying down on a tightrope he had managed to put up between the two towers from their roofs. Mordicai Gerstein tells this stunning true story with lyrical language and breathtaking illustrations. Shifting visual perspectives throughout the book give viewers a dizzying sense of both the height of the towers and the distance between them, while two fold-out pages dramatically extend this sense at the story's climax. The pen-and-ink lines perfectly convey a feeling of walking on air, while the oil paintings that comprise the backdrop create a sense of time and place, from the dark blue, green, and purple hues of the New York City skyline at night to the light grays, blues, and whites of the daytime sky. Every page is ingeniously composed to help tell this unusual story, and the ending is graceful both visually and verbally."
Every group of teachers, librarian, and university students we've share this book with over the past few months has been very excited about the book, and I don't think it was a surprise to anyone that it won the Caldecott Medal. What are your own impressions of the book?
KTH
Kathleen T. Horning, Director Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706
horning at education.wisc.edu Voice: 608&3721 Fax: 608&2I33 www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
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Received on Mon 02 Feb 2004 02:09:46 PM CST
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2004 13:09:46 -0700
As I've shared The Man Who Walked Between the Towers with children, reading it to classes visiting the library (1st to 5rh grades), I've become more and more pleased that it won the Caldecott. The kids have been mesmerized, and it's inspiring to me over and over. When I say "inspiring" the meaning I have in mind is the feeling I get from the perspective of the pictures - the view up, the view down, etc.
When the winner was first announced, I remembered reading it, but had to get it back again to look at in detail. At the first time of reading, the book had not stayed in my mind - which seemed like it could be a drawback to it being selected as the winner. Other librarians and I have also talked about the book's "staying power" - will we be thinking of this book for it's illustrations in five years? Ten years? Not sure about that - but I'm enjoying it for now....
Leslie Hauschildt Head, Children's Services Evergreen Library, Jefferson County Public Library 5000 Highway 73, Evergreen, CO 80439 303g480
Message----From: Kathleen Horning [mailto:horning at education.wisc.edu] Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 6:57 AM To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Subject: [ccbc-net] The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
I've been so caught up in this fascinating discussion of Despereaux, that I'm afraid I have been remiss in my duties as moderator. These first two weeks after the ALA award announcements, we have scheduled a discussion of the Caldecott winner and honor books as well.
I don't want the Caldecott books to be overlooked, so we do welcome your comments on them, as well as the 2004 Newbery books.
This year's Caldecott winner, "The Man Who Walked Between the Towers" by Mordicai Gerstein, was mentioned last month several times in our discussion of the best books of the year. As I recall, it also won several mock Caldecott discussions, including the one that we held here at the CCBC. Here's our review from CCBC Choices 2004:
"In 1974, soon after the World Trade Center was completed, a street performer named Philippe Petit startled New Yorkers by walking, running, dancing, and even lying down on a tightrope he had managed to put up between the two towers from their roofs. Mordicai Gerstein tells this stunning true story with lyrical language and breathtaking illustrations. Shifting visual perspectives throughout the book give viewers a dizzying sense of both the height of the towers and the distance between them, while two fold-out pages dramatically extend this sense at the story's climax. The pen-and-ink lines perfectly convey a feeling of walking on air, while the oil paintings that comprise the backdrop create a sense of time and place, from the dark blue, green, and purple hues of the New York City skyline at night to the light grays, blues, and whites of the daytime sky. Every page is ingeniously composed to help tell this unusual story, and the ending is graceful both visually and verbally."
Every group of teachers, librarian, and university students we've share this book with over the past few months has been very excited about the book, and I don't think it was a surprise to anyone that it won the Caldecott Medal. What are your own impressions of the book?
KTH
Kathleen T. Horning, Director Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706
horning at education.wisc.edu Voice: 608&3721 Fax: 608&2I33 www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
~ ~ ~ To send a reply to the entire CCBC-Net community,click on...
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Received on Mon 02 Feb 2004 02:09:46 PM CST
